Why this icon The horseshoe chaitya window of the Ajanta caves (UNESCO), from the 2nd century BCE. Source: whc.unesco.org
Walk into cliffs carved two thousand years ago.
The story
A late-monsoon morning at Ajanta: the horseshoe window of a chaitya cave is cut into the dark basalt of the Waghur gorge, a row of monastery caves runs along the cliff across the bend, waterfalls spill down the stepped walls at the gorge's head, rock doves fly out over it, a peacock crosses the green slope, a gray langur sits watching, and a traveller walks up toward the rock-cut stair to the cave.
Why this picture
The Ajanta caves, about 100 km from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, are some thirty halls cut into the dark basalt of a horseshoe bend of the Waghur river between the 2nd century BCE and the 6th century CE (UNESCO), their mouths in a row along the cliff, reached by a path and rock-cut steps. The chaitya halls carry a great horseshoe window over a pillared porch, framed by bands of small arch motifs. At the end of the monsoon the gorge's stepped trap walls are green, waterfalls run at its head, peafowl call on the slopes, gray langurs sit by the paths and rock doves roosting on the cliff ledges fly out over the gorge.
- whc.unesco.org
- Ajanta Caves — Wikipedia
- Chaitya — Wikipedia
- Deccan Traps — Wikipedia
- Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar — Wikipedia
- Gautala Autramghat Sanctuary — Wikipedia
- Rock dove — Wikipedia
The sky wears Jaali, the Zostel symbol's own lattice.
The motion
The waterfalls fall; rock doves fly out across the whole gorge; a cloud drifts; the peacock pecks; the langur's tail swings now and then; the field stalks and the teak sway; the sun's rays turn. A 16-second loop.
Colour
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar takes Marigold #FAA619, one of the three Sunny Days colours — with its icon in Steel Grey on it.
